Magazine socket wrench with nut ejector



3, '1950 v E. R. FRlcKE 2,493,2398

MAGAZINE SOCWUET- WRENCH WITH NUT EJECTOR Filed Feb. 2, 1948 v INVENTOR. EDWIN R-.FRICKE 12v/@ffm Patented Jan. 3, 1950 MAGAZINE SOCKET WRENCH WITH NUT EJ ECTOR Edwin R. Fricke, Brookings, S. Dak.

Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,769

This invention relates to wrenches of the type embodying a magazine designed to carry a plurality of individually releasable nuts or short bolts or headed screws. The improved wrench of my invention is especially adapted to handle hub nuts or bolts for detachable vehicle wheels.

Similar devices heretofore have been proposed, with nut retaining and releasing springs at the sides of the socket wrench, but they are open t two chief objections, viz: That the magazine cannot readily be unloaded manually; and that the retaining springs are exposed and subject todamage.

It is the primary object of the present invention to devise a wrench of the above mentioned character in which a lateral spring (or springs) is arranged for convenient manipulation by thumb or finger tips to extract one or more or all of the screw threaded elements from the magazine.

Another major object resides in the provision of a magazine unloader comprising one or more lateral springs protected by ribs or similar protuberances on the socket adjacent said springs,

A further object is to simply reenforce that end of the socket which has torque applied thereto to tighten the nuts as they leave the magazine.

These objects should become clear from a study of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, Where- 9 Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of my invention, with the magazine shown in vertical central section. The threaded elements shown are conventional hollow hub nuts;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of substantially the same device, the magazine containing hexheaded bolts instead of nuts;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking into the front end of the empty magazine; and

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the reenforced elbow that joins the handle to the socket.

With continued reference to the drawing, the illustrated wrench comprises a U-shaped or brace type handle 5. This handle has a rearward extension 6 that preferably has a pointed or attened end 'l to pry off the hub cap of a vehicle wheel.

A socket 8, forming the most essential part of the wrench magazine, is integrally joined to the handle by an elbow I0, pear shaped by enlargement as seen in Fig. 4 to strengthen the device in the locus of greatest torsional stress. The handle of course could be eliminated in favor of a simple crank arm integrally or detachably '1 Claimv.. (Cl. 81--124.1)

connected to the socket, or in favor of a cross arm wrench or any other suitable actuating means.

The socket 8, together with several springs about to be described forms a magazine for reception and cooperative dispensing of a plurality of screw threaded elements, and of course the socket must be internally shaped to non-rotatably but slidably receive the latter, In the illustration the socket is hexagon shaped to accommodate a plurality of six-sided nuts or bolt heads, for example six in number or as many as are necessary for a particular operation. The exterior surface of the socket may be of any desired shape but preferably has flat walls parallel to the internal walls.

On one or more of the external side walls of the socket there is provided a pair of longitudinally extending ribs I2, either formed integral therewith or welded thereto. These ribs are of substantial height at the forward end of the wrench and may taper inwardly to a lesser height, as shown, to merge into the rearward portion of the socket. The purpose of these ribs will appear shortly.

Between the ribs of each pair and secured flush against the intervening surface of the socket by screws I3 (or by rivets or by spot welding) there is a flat elongated leaf spring I4. The front end of each leaf is bent inwardly and then outwardly to provide a V-shaped portion I5 and thence extends forwardly beyond the front end of the socket to provide slightly exposed tip ends I'I. The socket is slotted rearwardly from its front end, just beneath the spring, to permit the por- I tion I5 to be thrown by spring action through and interiorly beyond the socket wall, this being the normal or natural position of the bent end of the leaf.

Within the socket 8 there is disposed a coiled compression spring I8, and when the wrench is in use there will be a preselected number of nuts 20 inserted in front of this spring. The length and strength of the spring I8 are such that it urges all or the last one of the nuts forwardly into rm contact with the leaf spring portions l5 and yet is incapable of forcing them outwardly beyond the portions I 5.

In operation, after filling the socket with nuts 20, the forward end of the socket is pointed towards the threaded end of a wheel bolt or the like which, upon rotation of the handle 5 enters the foremost nut and pulls it past the V-members I5. Continued rotation of the wrench tightens the nut without permitting the other nuts to escape.

Should the Wrench slip or drop to the pavement, when the leaf springs I4 are spread apart, the ribs I2 prevent the latter from being broken or damaged. The ribs also serve to strengthen the socket or, to put it in another way, they permit the socket Walls to be thinner and lighter than otherwise would be possible.

Should it be desired to manually remove one or more of the nuts, the tips I'I maybe separated manually by the ngers or thumbs so that the compression spring I8 can kick the nuts out. If the slots I6 are made wide enough this act may be accomplished Without extending .the rtips .IJ beyond the front end of the socket. Also, it should be understood that radial notches might be cut through the socket side Walls rearwardly of the sockets front end, these notches taking the place of the slots for accommodation of V-portions I5.

In Fig. 2, headed bolts or screws are shown in lieu of nuts. Here thesocket ordinarily wouldbe considerably longer `than that of Fig. 1 because of the considerably greater lengths of the bolts `as compared to the nuts. Also, here the strengthening ribs I2 andthe pearshapedrelbow I0 become more important because l-of the increased length of the socket.

Obviously, changes may be made in the disclosed embodiment .Without Adeparting from the spirit of the present invention, and therefore I wish to be limited only by a reasonably liberal interpretation of the scopeof the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a wrench of the class described, anelongated socket containing a coil spring `and `designed to 4 receive a plurality of nuts or the like to place said spring under compression, a spring device mounted exteriorly and laterally of said socket and embodying means normally interposed in front of the nuts to prevent their ejection by said coil spring, and protecting means on said socket adjacent said spring device to prevent damage to the latter, said spring device comprising a leaf 'having a atportion anchored to said socket and a bent flexible portion movable laterally away from said socket, and said protecting means comprising a laterally protruding rib on said socket arranged alongside said flexible portion of said I leaf.

EDWIN R. FRICKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the rile of this patent: 

